Fuel-regulating means for explosion-engines.



E. N. CASE. FUEL REGULATING MEANS FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 26. 198. 1,3003% v Patented Apr. 15,1919.

-IEIDVVARD NEWELL CASE, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

FUEI-REGULATING MEANS FOR EXPLOSION -EN GIN ES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed February 26, 1918. Serial N 0. 219,333.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD NEWELL CASE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel- Regulating Means for Explosion-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to automatic means for supplying to an explosion engine an explosive mixture, such as a mixture of a hydrocarbon and oxygen, in such manner as to maintain the constituents of the mixture properly proportioned, regardless of the altitude of the engine and the consequent barometric operative pressure.

The invention is herein shown and is more specifically applicable to the engines of flying machines, wherein the operative barometric pressure of the engine is. subject to wide variations.

The purpose of the invention is to provide means for regulating the pressure of air delivered to the carbureter or mixing device of the engine, together with a proper proportion of the hydrocarbon constituent of the explosive mixture, so designed and arranged as to maintain the proportions of the oxygen and the hydrocarbon constituents of the mixture uniform regardless of the altitude of the engine.

In supplying the explosive mixture to a gasolene or like explosion engine the proper proportions of oxygen and carbon to produce a mixture of the desired proportions can be determined and maintained for any given altitude or barometric pressure, but when the engine changes its altitude, as when a flying machine engine ascends from a lower to a higher altitude, the barometric pressure changes from normal at a known rate per foot of altitude, or vice versa, and inasmuch as the oxygen content of the atmosphere is dependent upon the pressure, the quantity of the oxygen per unit volume of air decreases as the engine rises from the earth and increases as it descends to the earth, if no means be provided for varying upon the hydrocarbon feed control.

the percentage of oxygen relatively to the volume of air.

Heretofore it has been a common practice to equip a flying machine with means for carrying oxygen under pressure, theoxygen being controllably releasable to the carbureter or fuel mixing device so that, as the machine rises to a higher altitude, the aviator may richen the explosive mixture by injecting oxygen thereinto to correspond with the altitude determined by the scale of an altitude meter. If the proportion of the oxygen to the hydrocarbon constituent of the mixture be not maintained, the power output of the engine will be decreased. Thereby the power of the engine to propel the machine if not only decreased, by reason of the rich explosive mixture, but is further decreased by reason of the decreased resistance of the rarer atmosphere against the propeller blades, so that the power of the machine is greatly reduced. If means be provided to maintain the substantially constant pressure of the air delivered to the carbureter or mixing device by which the oxygen of the air is mixed with the hydrocarbon constituent of the fuel, the proportion of the oxygen content of the air to the hydrocarbon constituent will be maintained at a ratio determined by a known barometric pressure,

as, for instance, atmospheric pressure at the surface of the earth.

It is the purpose of the present invention A to provide pressure regulating means auto matically' controlled by the barometric air pressure or other altitudinal atmospheric conditions to maintain the supply of air to the'carbureter or mixing device at a substantia-lly constant pressure. regardless of the altitude of the engine, so as to thereby maintain a proper ratio of the oxygen content of the air to the hydrocarbon constituent, which latter may be maintained constant or at any variable ratio, depending A further object of the invention is'to provide a novel mechanism for so maintainmg the air pressure constant for the purpose set forth, which is connected to and driven by the engine. f

A further object of the invention is to provide air pressure regulating means for the purpose set forth that is constructed nism inoperative at a predetermined barometric pressure or other equivalent atmospheric condition. I

Other objects of the invention are to improve, simplify, of means to supply explosive mixtures to a hydrocarbon explosion engine, and the invention consists in the combination and arran ent of the parts as shown in the drawings and described in the specification, and is pointed out in the appended claims.

'In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation, partially broken away, of a hydrocarbon explosion engine equipped with an explosive mixture regulating mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the mechanism partially broken away.

I Fig. 4c is a fragmentary detail of the pressure pump driving mechanism hereinafter described.

In the illustratedembodiment of the invention, the element which is responsive to varying barometric pressures to control the pressure of a1r mixing device of the engine embraces a d1a-.

delivered to the carbureter or phragm which is acted upon at its opposite sides by difierentiated air pressures controlled by a spring if desired, and the means for creating and maintaining the pressure is a pump, herein shown as a centri ugal multhat is connected to and driven by the engine through a s eed change mechanism that is itself under t e control of the pressure actuated element. It will be understood, however, that the mechanism may assume other specific forms and that the element which is responsive to barometric pressures may be otherwise selected, as, for instance, an aneroid barometer suitably connected to the speed change mechanism for the pump or other pressure device may be employed.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates as awhole the hydrocarbon explosion ensure through a pipe gine, indicated as a four cylinder engine. 11, 11 designate carbureters or mixing devices suitably connected to the intake valves of the engine. 12 connected to said carbureters. 14, 1 1 designate hydrocarbon intakes leading to the manifold. 15 designates an air intake leading also to said manifold. Said air intake 15 is designed to receive air directly from the surrounding atmosphere through a pipe 16 connected to the intake through an orifice controlled by a downwardly closing check valve 17, or to receive air under pres- 18 which is connected to a suitable pressure device, herein shown as having the form of a two stage centrifugal and increase the efficiency designates a manifold pump 19. 20 designates a supporting frame for the propeller blades (not shown) whichv is connected to and driven by the power shaft 21 of the engine. The pump 19 is shown as located at the rear side of the engine, relatively to the propeller support, and is driven byanysuitable form of speed change mechanism which is under the control of an element responsive tobarometric pressure.

The speed hange mechanism herein shown embraces and 23-, 23; that is to say, the pulleys 22.0f one pair are mounted on two pairs of pulleys 22, 22

the engine shaft 21 and the pulleys. 23 of the other pair being mounted on the driving shaft- 24 of the pump19. The said pairs of pulleys are cone pulleys, with the bevel or cone faces of the pulleys of each pulleys 22 constitute the driving pulleys and the .pulleys 23 constitute the driven pulleys.

air facing each other. The

.They are connected by a relatively thick belt 25 having beveled edges, as shown in'Flg. 4:, to engage the cone faces of the pulleys. The

said pulleys of each pair are slidable on their respective shafts and are so interconnected that when the pulleys of one air are moved away from the other the pu leys of the other pair are moved correspondingly toward each other, and vice versa. With this construction and arangement it will be observed that when the pulleys of one pair are spaced from each other at a distance equal to the spacing of the other pulleys on the respective shafts, power delivered from the driving or engine shaft will rotate the pump or driven shaft at the same speed as the engine shaft. When the pulleys on theengine or driving shaftlare spaced closer together than those of the pump-or driven shaft, and the belt is, therefore, engaged with the cone faces of the pulleys 22 near their periphery, said pump shaft will be driven at a rate of speed higher than the engine. or driving shaft. Conversely, when the pump or driven shaft are spaced a distance apart less than those'on the engine or driving shaft said pum will be driven at a rate of speed less than t ing shaft.

The means herein shown for shifting the pulleys on the at of the engine or drivpulleys toward and from. each other. are

made as follows: I The pairs of pulleys 22 and 23, areprovided with grooved hubs 26, 27, res

and the grooved hubs of correspon ing pu leys of the respective pairs at each side of the change feed mechanism are connected by rock arms 28. Said rock arms have forms 29 that are provided with inturned studs 30 I ing 33 which inc1oses the principal parts of ectivel ral with a casthe speed change mechanism. Said casing is equipped with suitable bearings for the englue and pump shaft. Said shafts are non rotatively locked to the rock arms in any suitable manner. The rock shafts v31 are provided at their upper ends with eccentric or crank studs 34, there being two of such crank studs, one at each side of the change speed mechanism, as shown in Fig. 3.

35 designates a link that is provided at one end with a transversely slotted head 36 through which the crank or eccentric studs of the rock shafts extend, and in which they have bearing; -Theend"of the link 35 remote from the slotted cross head 36 is connected to a diaphragm 37 which constitutes one Wall of a casing 39, that is attached in any suitable manner, as by means of a clip 40 to the speed change mechanism casing 33. The diaphragm is subjected at its outer side to the pressure of the surrounding air. The casing 39 is sealed and is filled with air'at normal pressure at the earths surface, to which pressure the inner side of the diaphragm 37 is subjected. The pressure exerted against the inner side of the diaphragm is, therefore, constant, while the pressure against the outer side of the diaphragm varies with the altitude of the machine.

The construction and arrangement of the change speed mechanism and its'cooperation with the pressure controlled element is such that when the machine is at the earths surface, or at any selected altitude, the pump driven mechanism is inoperative to drive the pump, and at such time air at normal, pressure is admitted through the pipe 16 to the carbureting or mixing devices.

With the construction described it will be understood that constant air pressure action on the inner side of the diaphragm is counterbalanced by the normal atmospheric pressure at the level of the earth, as at a selected altitude, and under these conditions the pump driving mechanism is inoperative to drive the pump. When the machine rises in the air and pressure decreases on the outer side of the diaphragm,'the constant pressure on the inner side of the diaphragm tends to force the diaphragm outwardly away from the casing, and thus tends to shift the link 35 endwise to rock the shafts 31 in a direction which causes the cone pulleys 22 of the engine shaft to approach each other and the cone pulleys 23 of the pump shaft to recede from each other. Thus it will be seen that as the machine passes from one altitude to a higher altitude andthe barometric pressure on the outside of-the diaphragm decreases, the constant pressure on the inner side of the diaphragm serves to control the change speed device so as to operate the pump 19 at'a. velocity dependent upon the altitude the'n achine is tra eling. Thus the air pressure delivered by the pump may be maintained with respect to a predetermined pressure as, for instance, air pressure at the earths surface. As the flying machine descends from a higher to a lower altitude the barometric pressure acts counter to the constant pressure on the inner side of the diaphragm and tends to force the diaphragm inwardly and to act through the link 35, rock shaft 31 and rock arms 28 to spread the pulleys apart and to shift the ulleys 23 together so as to decrease the speed of the pump and consequently to automatically decrease the pressure exerted by the pump to correspond -to the barometric pressure in which the flying machine is operating.

When the machine descends to the earth or into an altitude-of a barometric pressure substantially the same as that at the surface of the earth, it is unnecessary to operate the pump, and means are provided for automatically releasing the pump from its driving connections with the engine and to admit air to the fuel mixing device directly from the atmosphere at normal pressure. For this purpose the engine shaft 21 is shown as provided between the cone pulleys 22 with a belt supporting disk or bearer 41 which is loosely mounted on the shaft and is so related to the cone faces of the pulleys 22 that when the pulley-s are separated sufliciently to release the belt therefrom the said belt rides upon the periphery of the freely rotative disk 41. In such adjustment no power is transmitted from the engine shaft to the pump shaft.

When the pump is thus stopped air is taken to the carburetors or'mixing devices through the intake 16, the check valve 17 at this time opening upwardly to admit the air. The check valve is so located that when pressure is developed in the pipe 18, said pressure closes the valve against its seat so'that all of the air developed under pressure by the pump is admitted through the pipe 18. The air taken through the pump 19 is admitted to the casing 33 by way of ports or openings 42 and thence to the central portion of the two stage or other type pump. 1

The specific embodiment of my invention has been described with considerable particularity as to detail, but it is to be under stood that said description is not intended to be restrictive and that the invention is not limited thereto, except as to claims wherein said details are specifically set forth, or as imposed by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. Means for supplying an explosive mixture to a hydrocarbon explosion engine, comprising mechanism responsive to variations of altitudinal atmospheric conditions to maintain constant the pressure of air delivered to the engine.

I 2. Means for supplying an explosive mixture of a hydrocarbon and air to an explomeans for driving it from the engine,

a pressure sion engine comprising a mixing device, constructed with means for delivering air and a hydrocarbon thereto, and means responsive to altitudinal variations of atmospheric conditions to regulate the pressure of air supplied to the mixing device.

3. Means for supplying an explosive mixture of hydrocarbon and air to explosion engines comprising a mixing device having means for supplying hydrocarbon and air thereto, the air supplying means embracing device for supplying constant air pressures to the mixing device, and means responsive to altitudinal variations of atmospheric conditions for regulating the pressure device. I

4. Means for supplying an explosive mixture of hydrocarbon and air to explosion en gines comprising a mixing device having means for supplying hydrocarbon and air thereto, the air supplying means embracing a pump, and means responsive to barometric conditions of the atmosphere to regulate the speed of the pump.

5. Means for supplying an explosive mixture of hydrocarbon and air to explosion ongines comprising a mixing device having means for supplying hydrocarbon and air thereto, the air supplying means embracing a pump, means for driving the pump, including a speed change mechanism, and means responsive to barometric pressure for controlling the change speed mechanism.

6. The combination with an explosion engine, of means'for supplying a mixture of hydrocarbon and air thereto, the air supplying means embracinga pressure device, with and means responsive to barometric pressures for controlling the speedof said pressure device.

hydrocarbon 7 The combination with an explosion engine, of means for supplying a mixture of hydrocarbon and air thereto, the air supplying means embracing a pressure device, a change speed mechanism connecting the engine to the pressure device for driving the latter, and means responsive to barometric for controlling the speed change mechanism.

8. The combination with an explosion engine, of means for supplying a mixture of and air thereto, the air supplying means embracing a pump, a change speed mechanism connecting the engine to the pump for driving the latteigembracing pairs of oppositely facing pulleys on the engine and pump shafts, with the pulleys of each pair movable toward and from each other, a belt between and engaging the cone faces of said pulleys, and means responsive to altitudinal variations of atmospheric conditions for controlling the movement of said pulleys toward and from each other.

9. The combination with an explosion ongine,.of means for supplying mixture of hydrocarbon and air thereto, the air supplying means embracing a pressure device,

a change speed mechanism connecting the engine to the pressure device for driving the latter, embracing pairs of oppositely facing pulleys on the engine and pump shafts with the pulleys of each pair movable toward and from each other, rocking arms connected to the pulleys, and means responsive to barometric pressures to control said rocking arms.

10. The combination with an explosion engine, of means for supplying a mixture of hydrocarbon and air thereto, the air supplying means embracing a pressure device, a change speed mechanism connecting the engine to the pressure device for driving the latter embracing pairs of oppositely facing pulleys on the engine and pump shafts, with the pulleys of each pair movable toward and from each other, rocking arms connected to the pulleys, rock shafts attached to said rocking arms and provided with cranks, a slotted link connected to the cranks of said shafts, and means responsive to barometric. pressure to shift said link en'dwise.

11. Means for supplying an explosive mixture of hydrocarbon and air to explosion engines, embracing means responsive to altitudinal variations of atmospheric conditions to regulate the pressure of air supplied to the mixture, constructed with means to automatically throw out the regulating means at a predetermined atmospheric condition.

12. Means for supplying a mixture of hydrocarbon and air to explosion engines comprising a mixing device having means to direct a hydrocarbon and airto the mixing device, and means responsive to barometric pressure for controlling the pressure of air delivered to the mixing device, said latter means being constructed with means to disconnect the-pressure controlling means at a predetermined barometric pressure.

13.. Means for supplying a mixture'of hydrocarbon and air to explosion engines comprising a mixing device, with means for directing hydrocarbon and supplying air thereto, said air supply means embracing a pump, means to drive said pump, including speed change mechanism, and means responsive to barometric pressures for-regulating the speed change mechanism, embracing means to disconnect the regulating means for the change speed mechanism at a predeter-' mined barometric pressure.

14'. The combination with an explosion engine and a fuel mixing device, of means pulleys of the pump and engine shafts, reof the engine shaft to support the belt when spectively, a belt connected between and enthe pulleys are separated to disconnect the 10 gaging-the cone faces of said pulleys, means belt therefrom.

responsive to barometric pressures for mov- In testimony whereof I claim the foregoing the pulleys of one pair toward each ing as my invention, I hereunto append my other simultaneously with the movement of si ature at Chicago, Illinois, this 23rd day the other pair awayfrom each other, and a of l ebruary, 1918.

belt supporting carrier between the pulleys EDWARD NEVVELL CASE. 

